General Chat

Liking all the postings today....... thank you everyone.

Also liking all posts today. Thanks to Elizabeth, as that is so important. God loves all those children in the class. And a gold star in heaven is worth far more than any certificates or stars given by the teacher.

And how faces light up when we get a gold star at school or work. Yet no comparison to a real gold star:-)

Good morning to everyone. :-)


Thank you for your prayers Elizabeth. Whether just starting school, or beginning a new term can be daunting for many youngsters. My friends grandson, after his first day at school, didn't realise that it was continuous. He was very surprised that he had to go back the next day bless him!!


Some thoughts for today:



IF JESUS CAME TO YOUR HOUSE

If Jesus came to your house
To spend some time with you,
If He came unexpected,
I wonder what you’d do.

Oh, I know you’d give your nicest room
To such an honoured guest
And all the food you’d give to Him
Would be the very best.

And you would keep assuring Him
You’re glad to have Him there–
That serving Him in your home
Is joy beyond compare.

But when you saw Him coming,
Would you meet Him at the door
With arms outstretched in welcome
To your heavenly visitor?

Or would you have to change your clothes
Before you let Him in
Or hide some magazines
And put the Bible where they’d been

Would you hide your worldly music
and put some hymn books out?
Could you let Jesus walk right
in, or would you rush about?

And I wonder – if the Saviour
spent a day or two with you,
Would you go right on doing, the
things you always do?

Would you go right on saying, the
things you always say?
Or would life for you continue
as it does from day to day?

Would you take Jesus with you
everywhere you go?
Or would you maybe change your
plans for just a day or so?

Would you be glad to have Him
meet your closest friends?
Or would you hope they stay away,
until His visit ends?

Would you be glad to have Him
stay forever on and on?
Or would you sigh with great
relief when He at last was gone?

It might be interesting to know,
the things that you would do,
If Jesus came in person, to spend
some time with you.



Cx :-)

Just after I finished typing the above post, I had a phone call which will change our lives for a while to come.


Our beloved Vicar has collapsed and died at the age of 58.


I was with him last night at Baptism prep classes and all seemed fine.


We have been friends for a long time and so, when I heard that he had been taken to hospital, I went straight there to be with his wife and daughter. To see our dear friend lying so still was surreal and sobering. The effect it will have on his parishioners will be devastating for a while to come.

I will just leave this short prayer.

God be in my head,
and in my understanding;
God be in my eyes,
and in my looking;
God be in my mouth,
and in my speaking;
God be in my heart,
and in my thinking;
God be at my end,
and at my departing.

Amen.

No words Cynthia ......just <3

Dear Cynthia,

What a dreadful shock. I am so sorry. I know your Vicar made a huge impact on the lives of your entire congregation, and will be so missed.

God has a plan for us all, even though it's sometimes difficult for us to understand.

My condolences to his family and friends.

Rubyx

So sorry to hear this Cynthia...my condolences to you and all..... <3

Cynthia,

I am so sorry to hear this sad news.

My deepest sympathy for the loss of your friend
and my thoughts and prayers for his wife, family
and friends.

Emma <3

Very sorry to hear this, Cynthia. Thoughts with you and all affected by that sad news.

Cynthia - so sad to hear about your news, my thoughts are with you as you come to terms with losing someone who was just not your vicar but someone who was also a very dear friend of yours - my condolences go out to his wife, family, friends, and all those whose hearts he touched <3

"In My Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with Me that you also may be where I am."

John 14:2-3

Thank you. All of you. Your words are kind and comforting.


It is going to be extremely hard for his family, friends and parishioners to understand the full extent of how this will affect them.


His wife will have to find a new home.


The church will have to have a new leader.


The parish, churchgoers or not, will need a new pastor.


He will never be replaced as a husband, father, son, and friend to so many.


We live by faith. We die by faith. I am so glad he has not suffered as he was very likely to have done, given his chronic kidney condition.


Cx :-)

Dear Cynthia

I was so sorry to hear this. What a sad loss to his family, friends and parishioners. I pray his wife and family are granted the strength they need right now. My thoughts are with them and you.

Vera

Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
(Matthew I think)

C

I am so very sorry to hear the news of the death of your Vicar.

I know that you were very good friends .............. and that he was an excellent vicar for the parish.

May he rest in peace


S
xxx
<3 <3 <3 <3

Dear Cynthia

Hello

I am so very sorry to hear of the passing of your vicar.

From your posts, he seemed a very decent human being and so young as well.


My caring thoughts are with his family and friends at this shocking time for them all.


Take very gentle care
Sincere wishes
Elizabeth, EOS
xx

Thank you again everyone.


The church has been open for private prayer this evening. I took OH down and then went on to do a promised home visit for a baptism family. I had to do it, otherwise I would have felt I was letting him down.

I went back to church and it seems that between 80-90 people had been in a short space of time. His daughter was also there which was nice.

One of the churchwardens had tastefully set up a memorial to him at the front of church - vestments, books, lilies, a picture of him and votive candles. Very moving but people were moving around at the back in a sense of total disbelief.

As one of the Friday lunch club workers hugged me, he told me that lunches would go ahead tomorrow because it's what the vicar would have wanted.

We are going to have to work harder as a team to help fulfill his vision for our church.


Cx :-)

Thinking of you Cyns,

He was a lovely man.. I shall keep my e-mails to and from him.. when we first corresponded he sent me this:

" I understand you are a friend of Cynthia - strange I didn't realise she had any friends!!!1
Deepest sympathy, i suppose someone has to be her friend - you will get your reward in heaven !!!"

He had a good sense of humour and can tell how well he was liked.

My condolences to his family..

Love Persie <3

Oh Persie, that was him all right. We were on the same wavelength for humour and, even last night, we were ribbing each other all of the time. We used to make others laugh at our caustic comments. I'm so glad you corresponded....... :-)

Oh Cynthia....... how very sad that your lovely friend and vicar has died. A huge shock for his wife, daughter and the parishioners. Sincere condolences to you all.

Good morning friends, I have been very grateful for all the kind and caring comments posted on here regarding the sudden and unexpected death of my vicar.

It's at times like this, that I am grateful that I belong to a community of faith. Whilst we are shocked and saddened, and when the mist clears, we know that death does not have the final victory and that our dear friend is at peace with the Lord whom he served so faithfully. We have hope in the Resurrection promise.

I thought the following would be apt for today:



EMBRACE THE MOMENT


I may never see tomorrow
there's no written guarantee,
and things that happened
yesterday, belong to history.

I cannot predict the future,
I cannot change the past,
I have just the present moment
I must treat it as my last.

I must use this moment wisely,
for it soon will pass away,
it will be lost forever,
as part of yesterday.

I must exercise compassion,
help the fallen to their feet,
Be a friend unto the friendless
make an empty life complete.

The unkind things I do today
may never be undone
and friendships that I fail to win
may nevermore be won.

I may not have another chance
on bended knee to pray
and I thank God with a humble heart
for giving me this day.

- unknown.


Cx :-)