General Chat

Good morning :-)

Oh, for heaven's sake Vera.........what a couple of days you have had - you must be exhausted! Hope you manage to have a much calmer week this week bless you. <3


A scientist told God, "We don't need you anymore. We can create life in a test tube".

God said, "Alright, make a man from the dust beneath you."

"Ok," said the scientist, bending down and grabbing a handful of dust.

"Oh no," said God, " you have to. make your own dust!"


Psalm 126:2 “Then our mouth was filled with laughter, and our tongue with shouts of joy; then they said among the nations, ‘The Lord has done great things for them.’”

Cx :-)

Another interesting week about the seeds we can and should sew but so often don't.

I started the day with a rueful smile as I can really relate to today's post :-) It was good to start the week with a smile as I am very happy to wave goodbye to last week. In the space of two days, amongst other problems, we sustained considerable damage to our car while at a funeral, I lost a large filling from a tooth, we got lost, I had to put a complaint in to a hotel we were staying at which I hate doing, and the iron blew up and set light to the cardigan I was wearing. But we are still here unharmed and can laugh about it now and for that we are thankful.

Wishing you all a calmer week than that.

Good morning :-)


My doctor told me that I need to work out. So I listed the exercises I do every day:

JUMP to conclusions
CLIMB the walls
DRAG my heels
PUSH my luck
MAKE mountains out of molehills
BEND over backwards
RUN around in circles
PUT my foot in my mouth
BEAT around the bush
FLY off the handle
SKIP a meal
And CRAWL into bed

By the time I do all of that, I don't have the time or energy to do anything else !! Starting the day with a good laugh or at least a smile is a wonderful thing – thank you God.

Cx :-)

Good morning :-)


The Collect (special prayer for today)
Lord of all power and might,
the author and giver of all good things:
graft in our hearts the love of your name,
increase in us true religion,
nourish us with all goodness,
and of your great mercy keep us in the same;
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 reading continues with the theme of the Sower and how we are to respond.

Cx :-)

Good morning :-)

The Parable of the Sower.......and us.


Lord Jesus, make me a planter of seeds of hope.
Where there is discord, let me plant compassion.
Where there is loneliness, let me plant companionship.
Where there is anxiety, let me plant comfort.
May the seeds I plant with your guidance and grace
Grow to be a sheltering tree, one providing the hope
That comes from following you.
Amen.


Cx :-)

Good morning :-)


The Parable of the Sower...........and us.

The Sower and the Seed
by Josprel

A sower sowed a seed one day,
Along life's road, a weary way,
The seed of hope, of God's deep love,
Of unseen things, of Christ above,
Of Christ's salvation, strong and true,
His sacrifice for me and you,
This seed was sown one happy day,
The sower sowed, then went his way.

A sower sowed a seed one day,
He sowed the seed, but did not stay,
The seed did grow, not strong and true,
for without food, no growth came through.
The strength was used to fight the weed,
No man was there to see its need,
A sower sowed a seed one day
He sowed the seed, but did not stay.

A sower sowed a seed one day,
He sowed the seed, but did not pray,
The seed, it grew, but sad to say,
Was choked by weeds, what great dismay!
Know sowers all, that we must pray,
For all the seeds we sow each day,
That sowers true, who cannot stay,
Are yet responsible to pray.

Cx :-)

Good morning :-)

The Parable of the Sower and the seeds
.
This hymn is donkey’s years old, but it just about says everything to do with us planting seeds.

Bringing in the Sheaves

Sowing in the morning, sowing seeds of kindness,
Sowing in the noontide and the dewy eve;
Waiting for the harvest, and the time of reaping,
We shall come rejoicing, bringing in the sheaves.

Refrain
Bringing in the sheaves,
Bringing in the sheaves,
We shall come rejoicing,
Bringing in the sheaves;
Bringing in the sheaves,
Bringing in the sheaves,
We shall come rejoicing,
Bringing in the sheaves.

Sowing in the sunshine, sowing in the shadows,
Fearing neither clouds nor winter's chilling breeze;
By and by the harvest, and the labor ended,
We shall come rejoicing, bringing in the sheaves.
Refrain

Going forth with weeping, sowing for the Master,
Though the loss sustained our spirit often grieves;
When our weeping's over, He will bid us welcome,
We shall come rejoicing, bringing in the sheaves.
Refrain

https://youtu.be/pdStyVROvIM

Cx :-)

Good morning :-)

The Parable of the Sower - What kind of seeds do we sow?

Even if the fruits are not immediately visible, Christians are called to sow seeds of faith in the world and people around them in their daily lives, but we are sowers, not a scarecrows

We must make sure that we do what is right regardless of what is going on around us.

Jesus explained that some of the sower’s seeds were eaten up by birds and therefore did not yield fruit. It is not our job to guard the seed. It is our job just to sow it. Sometimes a good deed will need to be done for someone who will not appreciate it. Don’t fight. Just sow. We must remember that we are sowers, not scarecrows.

Cx :-)

Good morning :-)

The Parable of the Sower - what kind of seeds do we sow?

There was a woman who was well-known among her circle. She was known for her simple faith and her great calmness in the midst of many trials. Another woman, living at a distance, hearing of her, said, “I must go and see that woman and learn the secret of her calm, happy life.”

She went and approached the woman and said, “Are you the woman with great faith?” “No,” the woman quickly answered, “I am not the woman with the great faith, but I am the woman — with a little faith — in a great God.”

If we have just a little faith, know that our “faith is the substance of things hoped for, and the evidence of things not seen.” Thank God for a little bit of faith. No wonder the Bible tells us “Without faith — we cannot please God!” We need to start sowing seeds by faith today.

Cx :-)

Good morning :-)

The Parable of the Sower

What kind of seeds do we sow?

We’ve all heard the saying “You reap what you sow,” which always sounds like a threat. It’s often used with a cautionary tone, yet it’s true. We do reap what we sow.

If you plant honesty, you will reap trust.

If you plant goodness, you will reap friends.

If you plant humility, you will reap greatness.

If you plant perseverance, you will reap contentment

If you plant consideration, you will reap perspective.

If you plant hard work, you will reap success.

If you plant forgiveness, you will reap reconciliation.

If you plant faith in Christ, you will reap a harvest.

So, be careful what you plant now; it will determine what you will reap later.

Cx :-)

Good morning

A lovely week of memories of home and school and church. Thank you Cynthia.

Kandj, if that old piece of folk lore is right we are definitely in for several weeks of rain!

Happy Sunday everyone

Good morning :-)

It's resembling November at the moment kandj - when will the rain stop?


Collect (special prayer) for today:
Merciful God,
you have prepared for those who love you
such good things as pass our understanding:
pour into our hearts such love toward you
that we, loving you in all things and above all things,
may obtain your promises,
which exceed all that we can desire;
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.

In the Gospel for today, Jesus tells the story of the sower sowing seed.


Cx :-)

Hello all

Spot on Cynthia, I can relate to all of your church memories.

15th July today is St Swithin's Day.

The traditional folk law poem says.....

"St Swithin's Day, if it should rain
Full 40 days it will remain.
St Swithin's Day, if it be fair
For 40 days, t'will rain no more."

It has rained heavily here today???

Good morning :-)

MEMORIES……….church life


Many people only know their local church, but others have experienced several different churches – and denominations.

Times have changed and, where once Protestants and Roman Catholics rarely mingled, there are now good relationships and we have come to respect each other’s preference of worship.

We look back to a past when most of the churches we knew had a reasonable congregation and lots going on in the week. Many a romance was started at church youth clubs.
With not as many distractions as nowadays, church groups thrived and grew and were ‘hubs’ of activity where people got to know each other.

Events such as Jumble Sales, Beetle Nights and various other things, all helped to build up the fellowship both within the church and within the community.

The clergy were held in respect and people got to know them by the fact that they spent a good proportion of their time being out and about in their parishes.

Services tended to be formal, and hymns were traditional but, you know what, it may have been a bit boring and unintelligible at times, no one suffered for that – in fact, it gave them a good grounding into the English language. Children were encouraged to learn the Psalms and bible stories – this would help them to face life as they matured.

‘Sunday best’ was often worn out of respect for entering God’s house to worship.

All in all, church life was a good life, and we need to continue to make it good for the coming generations.

Cx :-)

Good morning :-)

Vera .......................and there's more! :-D


MEMORIES………….schooldays

Some people remember their schooldays with great affection, whilst others hated them. Older folk can think back to blackboards and chalk, morning prayers, bottles of milk and teachers with rulers!

Days regimented by timetables, playtimes, constantly moving from classroom to classroom and bells – lots of bells.

School holidays seemed to last forever and the sun was always shining!

We can’t forget school dinners…….that smell of cabbage which permeated the corridors. Mince and carrots served with mashed potato, or liver and onions, or steak and kidney pie or white fish in parsley sauce. These delights were followed by…..pink custard or suet pudding or tapioca pudding with jam. The dinner ladies kept the pupils in order and teachers would patrol the tables teaching table manners.

And then, of course, came computers and the whole scenario changed.

We thank God for our school days and for the dedication of the staff who taught and guided us.

Cx :-)

My goodness, the memories are flooding back now Cynthia, particularly of family holidays with my parents and brother, now all deceased. Memories can be such a comfort and have made me realise what a secure and happy childhood I had, so I am thinking now of those adults whose memories aren’t so happy and children today who don’t feel safe and loved.

Kandj, that hymn One More Step Along the Road I Go also brought back memories. The first time I heard it was at my daughter’s final assembly in primary school and it hit me that my little girl wasn’t a little girl any more. That little girl became a teacher with special responsibilities in child safeguarding, so it’s almost as if the wheel has turned full circle.

Happy days, happy memories :-)

Good morning :-)

That's a very apt hymn at the moment kandj - it is being sung as pupils leave school during this time. :-)


MEMORIES ……. Pets

It wasn’t obligatory to have a pet when we were young but most families had some sort of animal to care for – even if it was simply a goldfish from the local fair!

Dogs were probably the most popular pets but cats had a huge fan base too. There are those who preferred a bird of some sort – budgerigar or maybe a parrot, whilst others chose a colourful fish tank with lots of exotic fish in it. Probably less popular, were rats, snakes and lizards.

We thank God for the pets we have loved and for the joy, happiness and delight they brought into our lives.


Cx :-)

Hello all

Family holidays are a good time to be with loved ones and make happy memories that last forever.

I've had an upbeat hymn tune going around my head all day... (Vera will know what that feels like.)

One more step along the world I go,
One more step along the word I go;
From the old things to the new,
Keep me travelling along with you.
And it's from the old I'll travel to the new,
Keep me travelling along with you.

Sending a hug to whoever feels low today x

Good morning :-)



MEMORIES of holidays – who doesn’t remember times spent away from home/school/work? The funny holidays, the memorable holidays, the holiday that went wrong or the holiday which was utterly amazing.

Then there was the excitement of packing and getting ready to travel to different places both home and abroad.

Caravan holidays, holiday camps, seaside holidays, camping, walking holidays. Journeys made by car, plane, boat or train.

Nowadays, people are making memories by travelling to the furthest corners of the world and taking part in some extraordinary pursuits.

We pray for those who are able to get away for a break this summer. May they travel safely, and return refreshed and relaxed, bringing happy and joyful memories back with them. Amen.

Cx :-)

Good morning :-)


Who doesn’t love a trip down memory lane now and then?

Memories are everywhere. Memories of good times and not-so-good times. Memories of people, places and things. Memories of all different kinds are around us each day.

How many of these toys can you remember? What else was there?

1940’s Jacks/Lego/slinky
1950’s Mr Potato Head/Playdough/Hula hoops
1960’s Etch-a-Sketch/Troll dolls/Barbie
1970’s Rubik’s Cube/space hopper/Hungry Hippo
1980’s Care bears/Pac-Man/Star Wars
1990’s Tamagotchi/Stretch Armstrong/Nintendo 64

How toys have changed over the years and what pleasure each generation had with the toys available to them. Do you have any memories you would like to share?

Lord, we thank you for the gift of happy childhood memories which take us back to the simple things in life. We pray for those whose early years were unhappy and whose memories are sad. We ask that you bless and heal those hurts. Lord in your mercy. Hear our prayer.

Cx :-)