General Chat

Thank you Cynthia and Kandj for your birthday wishes.

I am in Madeira at the moment. We have had an excellent meal with probably a little too much wine. OH is lying beside me snoring loudly which is driving me nuts.

I am very conscious of how lucky I am to have a husband around to drive me mad and how fortunate I am to be able to afford some of he good things in life. Thoughts tonight are with those who have nobody to share their life and for those who are having to struggle to pay for even the necessities of life.

Good morning :-)


I could cope with being in Madeira today I think :-D

We were expecting a workman to come and replace our sink unit in the kitchen yesterday. When he hadn't arrived, I phoned to see what had happened. Despite his excuses, I think he had forgotten. We was off work due to a bad back though :-(

And so we enter Lent.

Ash Wednesday is the beginning of Lent for Western Christian churches. It's a day of penitence to clean the soul before the Lent fast.

Roman Catholic, Anglican, and some other churches hold special services at which worshippers are marked with ashes as a symbol of death and sorrow for sin.

Ash Wednesday services
The service draws on the ancient Biblical traditions of covering one's head with ashes, wearing sackcloth, and fasting.

The mark of ashes
In Ash Wednesday services churchgoers are marked on the forehead with a cross of ashes as a sign of penitence and mortality.
The use of ashes, made by burning palm crosses from the previous Palm Sunday, is very symbolic.

The minister or priest marks each worshipper on the forehead, and says “Remember you are dust and unto dust you shall return” or a similar phrase based on God's sentence on Adam in Genesis 3:19.

God our Father, you create us from the dust of the earth.
Grant that these ashes may be for us a sign of our penitence, and a symbol of our mortality. Amen.


Cx :-)

Good morning :-)



For the first few days of Lent, I will post an idea on the Prayer/Fasting/Giving theme which may help us…….

PRAYER…….buy or download a book of daily reflections and keep it by your bed. This can be looked at either in the morning or at night or even during the hours you find sleep difficult. There are several available online.

FAST…… from watching television one night each week so that you can spend time on a Lenten practice, such as praying, reading the Bible, serving others.

GIVE…….. personal possessions, such as clothes, books, shoes, to people in need.


I hope this is helpful.

Cx :-)

Good morning :-)

Some more ideas on the theme of Prayer/Fasting/Giving

READ the entire Gospel of Mark in one sitting. As the shortest Gospel, it is the most concise story of Jesus’ life.

FAST from having constant background noise in the car and at home. The silence may be jarring at first, but you may find that you are able to concentrate better and will be more observant of your surroundings.

GIVE a meal to an elderly neigbour.

Jesus, you prayed and fasted. As your disciple, teach me about spiritual discipline in my relationship with you. Amen


Love to all..... :-)

Good morning :-)

Some more thoughts for the beginning of Lent...


MAKE time during your day to spend fifteen minutes praying during Lent: give thanks to God for all your blessings, pray for a specific personal need prompted by the day's experience.

FAST from buying new things like clothes, music, magazines, or jewellery and make a donation to a good cause.

GIVE food saved by fasting to a food bank.

Lord may Lent be a time of inward searching that makes me more able to look with compassion at the needs of the world. Amen.



Cx :-)

Good morning :-)

The Collect (special prayer) for today :

Almighty God,
whose Son Jesus Christ fasted forty days in the wilderness,
and was tempted as we are, yet without sin:
give us grace to discipline ourselves in obedience to your Spirit;
and, as you know our weakness,
so may we know your power to save;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.


The gospel reading takes us through the temptations Jesus faced whilst he was in the desert.

Love ......Cx :-)

Hello all

Amen to your Collect prayer this morning Cynthia.

Forty Days and Forty Nights....... I can remember this from school days VERY MANY
years ago now.

Forty days and forty nights
Thou wast fasting in the wild'
Forty days and forty nights
Tempted, and yet undefiled.

Sunbeams scorching all the day
Chilly dew-drops nightly shed
Prowling beasts around thy way;
Stones Thy pillow, earth Thy bed.

Should not we Thy sorrow share
And from worldly joys abstain
Fasting with unceasing prayer,
Strong with Thee, to suffer pain?

Then if Satan on us press
Jesus, Saviour hear our call!
Victor in the wilderness
Grant we may not faint nor fall!

So shall we have peace divine;
Holier gladness ours shall be.
Round us too shall angels shine,
Such as ministered to Thee.

Keep, O keep us Saviour dear,
Ever constant by Thy side;
That with Thee we may appear
At the eternal Eastertide.

That old Lenten hymn has brought back many happy memories this morning.

Sending a gentle hug to those in need right now. xxx

Good morning :-)


We sang that hymn yesterday kandj :-D

Three final ideas for use during Lent on the theme of Prayer/Fasting/Giving

TAP into your creative side and try using coloring as a way to pray and meditate during Lent - buy an adult colouring book - widely available.

FAST from a favourite snack food or drink and set aside the money you would have spent to donate to a special charity.

GIVE more to church by increasing your offering.

As Jesus resisted temptation by the devil in the wilderness, help us reflect on his faithfulness to God, his rejection of worldly values and hold these thoughts in our hearts throughout Lent and beyond. Amen.


Cx :-)

Good morning :-)


During the rest of this week, the postings will be short quotes from famous people and will have a Lenten theme.

Today :

“Prayer is where the action is." -- John Wesley

John Wesley is known for two things: co-founding Methodism and his tremendous work ethic.

In the 1700s, when land travel was by walking, horseback or carriage, Wesley logged more than 4,000 miles a year. During his lifetime he preached about 40,000 sermons.

Wesley could give today's experts lessons in efficiency. He was a natural organizer and approached everything diligently, especially religion.

It was at Oxford University in England that he and his brother Charles participated in a Christian club in such an orderly manner that critics called them Methodists, a title which they gladly embraced.

Come to think of it, I can't ever remember anyone saying they were a Methodist on here.......can anyone else?

Cx :-)

Good morning :-)

Today's quote comes from Henri Nouwen...

"O Lord, make this Lenten season different from the other ones.
Let me find you again. Amen".

Born in Nijkerk, Hollan in 1932, Nouwen felt called to the priesthood at a very young age. He was ordained in 1957 as a diocesan priest and studied psychology at the Catholic University of Nijmegen.

In 1964 he moved to the United States to study at the Menninger Clinic. He went on to teach at the University of Notre Dame, and the Divinity Schools of Yale and Harvard. For several months during the 1970s, Nouwen lived and worked with the Trappist monks in the Abbey of the Genesee, and in the early 1980s he lived with the poor in Peru.

In 1985 he was called to join L’Arche in Trosly, France, the first of over 100 communities founded by Jean Vanier where people with developmental disabilities live with assistants. A year later Nouwen came to make his home at L’Arche Daybreak near Toronto, Canada.

He died suddenly on September 21st, 1996, in Holland and is buried in Richmond Hill, Ontario.

Cx :-)

Good morning :-)


Our quote for today comes from St. Benedict.....

"Renounce yourself in order to follow Christ; discipline your body; do not pamper yourself but love fasting."

Saint Benedict of Nursia was the founder of the Benedictine monasteries and the Benedictine rule. He started life as a wealthy Roman but following his conversion to Christianity he became a hermit. He attracted many followers due to his pious way of life and established the Benedictine rule.

Love to all Cx :-)

Good morning :-)


Our quote for today comes from C. S. Lewis....famous for the Chronicles of Narnia...

'Humility is not thinking less of yourself but thinking of yourself less'.

Clive Staples Lewis (1898-1963) was a British novelist, poet, academic, medievalist, literary critic, essayist, lay theologian, broadcaster, lecturer, and Christian apologist.

He held academic positions at both Oxford University and Cambridge University.

He is best known for his works of fiction, especially The Screwtape Letters, The Chronicles of Narnia, and The Space Trilogy, and for his non-fiction Christian apologetics, such as Mere Christianity, Miracles, and The Problem of Pain.


Cx :-)

Good morning...........is there anybody there? :-D


Our final quote with a Lenten theme comes from Mother Teresa....

‘It’s not how much we give, but how much love we put into giving’. ...


Mother Teresa MC 26 August 1910 – 5 September 1997), was an Albanian-Indian Roman Catholic nun and missionary. She was born in Skopje (now the capital of the Republic of Macedonia), then part of the Kosovo Vilayet of the Ottoman Empire.

After living in Macedonia for eighteen years she moved to Ireland and then to India, where she lived for most of her life.

In 1950 Teresa founded the Missionaries of Charity, a Roman Catholic religious congregation which had over 4,500 sisters and was active in 133 countries in 2012.


Cx :-)

Good morning.... :-)

Looks as though I am on my ownsome this week.......never mind, upwards and onwards :-D


The Collect (special prayer) for today :

Almighty God,
you show to those who are in error the light of your truth,
that they may return to the way of righteousness:
grant to all those who are admitted
into the fellowship of Christ's religion,
that they may reject those things
that are contrary to their profession,
and follow all such things as are agreeable to the same;
through our Lord Jesus Christ.

The reading for today tells the story of Nicodemus and how he struggled to understand ‘being born again’.


This morning we have 3 young children to be baptised....twin girls and a little boy. Should be fun! :-D


Cx :-)

Good morning :-)

For this next week of Lent, we will look at some poems/readings which fit in with the themes of Prayer/Fasting/Giving...


Today…….Prayer

Let Your God Love You

Be silent.
Be still.
Alone.
Empty
Before your God.

Say nothing.
Ask nothing.
Be silent.
Be still.

Let your God look upon you.
That is all.
God knows.
God understands.

God loves you
With an enormous love,
And only wants
To look upon you
With that love.

Quiet.
Still.
Be.


Cx :-)

You must have felt quite lonely on here this week Cynthia. Thank you for carrying on regardless.

An interesting poem today - where or who does it come from? One of my favourite hymns is "Be still, for the presence of the Lord....". Moments of stillness are so rare in our hectic world and are very precious.

Gentle thoughts for all in need of support today <3

Good morning :-)

Yes, its been a bit lonesome these past few days Vera but its lovely of you to pop in. I found the poem via good old Google. :-)

Some sad news from yesterday. You will remember my tales about our lovely vicar and how he suddenly collapsed and died..............yesterday his wife was found dead in bed. She hadn't been too well for a few days but no one foresaw this. So sad for their only daughter who is now having to go through the grieving process again.

For today :

Fasting and Feasting

Fast from criticism; feast on praise

Fast from discontent; feast on gratitude.

Fast from anger; feast on patience.

Fast from pessimism; feast on optimism.

Fast from worry; feast on trust.

Fast from complaining; feast on appreciation.

Fast from negatives; feast on affirmatives.

Fast from bitterness; feast on forgiveness.

Fast from self-concern; feast on compassion for others.

Fast from personal anxiety; feast on eternal truth.

Fast from discouragement; feast on hope.

Fast from facts that depress; feast on truths that uplift.

Fast from suspicion; feast on truth.

Fast from idle gossip; feast on purposeful silence.


Cx :-)

Good morning :-)

Haven't heard from Emma in ages.......is she okay does anyone know?


For today .... remaining on the Lenten theme of Prayer/Fasting/Giving...we look at Giving.

Embrace the Joy of Christian Giving
by George Cuff

I learned six truths about giving today--
Truths from God's Word, not what men say;
Truths that teach me how I should live,
And the joy I receive as I learn to give.

I learned to give myself to God first,
My will in His, completely immersed.
I am bought with a price; I'm not my own.
These things I enjoy He's given on loan.

I respond to God with a joyful heart;
No grudging response as I do my part.
My spirit enjoys a renaissance
When giving freely is my response.

Someday soon I will give account
For what I did with the great amount
That God freely gave to meet my need
And also to give as He decreed.

I learned to release what is His anyway,
To bring my offering on the Lord's Day.
I do not give to hear man's praise;
I simply desire to live God's way.

I learned every time I receive my pay
To bring my gift the next Lord's day.
By giving with order and discipline
It strengthens me and pleases Him.

I learned of God's Promise to supply.
If the well of my riches ever goes dry,
He will never stand idly by
Forsaking His servant until I die.

God can be trusted to meet all our need.
So don't be afraid to follow His lead.
If you would find joy in Christian living,
Embrace the grace of Christian giving.


Cx :-)

Hello all

Oh what sad news about your previous Vicar's wife dying so suddenly too. Thoughts and prayers are with their daughter and also with your congregation as well Cynthia.

Good to know you are back from holiday safely Vera, I hope you had a nice time.

Emma commented on the Rugby thread when Scotland were playing recently. Hope she is keeping well.

May our journey through Lent be a time of reflection, spiritual growth and daily blessings as we experience a special closeness with Jesus. Amen.

Thought you'd like to know about the modern version of Lent out here.

Lent is what's called fasting time. It's not fasting as we know it, it means having no animal products. Fish and other sea animals are allowed, also edible land snails. There is an elderly woman who arrives on a motor scooter, she stops opposite us and hunts for snails in the field.:-S

We go to a Chinese buffet on Tuesdays and we've noted the modern twist - local families are coming and ordering sushi as that's fish and prawns. :-D