General Chat

Hello all

Loving the inspirational words Cynthia.

Vera, WOW... is how what I think after reading your words, and only aged 19 too...!!

David, I also think that it is so good to give thanks for each and every day we are blessed with.

"The days of our years are threescore years and ten; and if by reason
of strength they be fourscore years, yet is their strength labour and
sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away."
Psalm 90 v 10 (from the King James Version Bible).

A survivor of the 9/11 terrorist attack, a NYFD officer named John gives

his account of that day and how it reinforced his faith God

https://youtu.be/oo3PGkDEzEc

https://youtu.be/b48bCMNyxos

Good morning to you all :-D <3

The years of a man are three score and ten, ten more if he's strong.

Despite the knocks and bumps and and breaks, I'm still here, THANK GOD

Good morning :-)

Awful news from Essex - and imagine having to try and identify these poor people :-(


This piece of inspiration is on a similar theme to your verse Vera..... <3


Love is close
In the moments when you feel you are unloved, unnoticed, and insignificant, remember who you are to Jesus.
Because of his great love for you, never a day in your life will go unnoticed, unvalued or unloved.

Jesus will always be there and never leave you. Even if it is sometimes seems as he is far away, the truth is, he is closer than your next breath. You never will be unloved, unnoticed or unvalued because Jesus is constantly present, mindful of you in every moment, and so passionately and constantly loves you.

Lean into his love, remain in it, have faith in it and allow it to consume you and take over completely. Never forget his love is close and that’s where it will always stay.


Cx :-)

It is indeed a tragic event kandj. I cannot conceive how anyone could hold life so cheap that they would act like this towards another human being. I just cannot express how I feel.

Cynthia, I also enjoyed today's poem. May I add one that I came across recently which is in blank verse. It is by Londeka Zondi who is from South Africa. I don't know when it was written but she was 19 at the time and I found it very moving. It is called "They Say I'm Nothing But I'm Something".

They say I’m poor,
They say I’m nothing.
They say I’m poor and they say I’m nothing because I’ve got nothing to offer to any living soul.
I’ve got no money, no food, no child, no wife nor husband and no home to go home to that is because I’ve got no money.
But I say I’m blessed
I’m blessed because God told me so.
He loves me the same way he loves every life on earth. I’m blessed because I’m still alive.
I breathe the same air that rich men breathe,
I walk on the same ground that rich men walk . . . therefore I am no different.
I am rich with life
I am rich with love
I’m rich with hope that one day they will see the beauty that God treasured in me because I am something indeed

Hello all

How tragic for 39 people to end their lives inside a lorry on an industrial site.

Thoughts and prayers for them, for their families and for all the police and ambulance workers who have witnessed such an horrific/shocking scene in Essex today. RIP.

How beautiful was that poem, very moving x

Good morning :-)

Very sad indeed David :-(


C.S. Lewis had a wonderful way with words and his quotes and writings are still very popular. <3

For today:

The Touch Of The Master's Hand

T'was battered and scarred, and the auctioneer
thought it scarcely worth his while
To waste much time on the old violin,
But held it up with a smile.
"What am I bidden, good folks," he cried,
"Who'll start the bidding for me?
A dollar, a dollar, then, two! Only two?
Two dollars, and who'll make it three?
Three dollars, once; three dollars, twice;
Going for three . . ."
But no,
From the room, far back, a grey-haired man
Came forward and picked up the bow;
Then, wiping the dust from the old violin,
And tightening the loose strings,
He played a melody pure and sweet
As a carolling angel sings.

The music ceased, and the auctioneer,
With a voice that was quiet and low, said:
"What am I bid for the old violin?"
And he held it up with the bow.
"A thousand dollars, and who'll make it two?
"Two thousand! And who'll make it three?
"Three thousand, once; three thousand, twice;
And going and gone. "said he.

The people cheered, but some of them cried,
"We do not quite understand,
what changed its worth -
Swift came the reply:
"The Touch Of The Master's Hand."

And many a man with life out of tune,
And battered and scarred with sin,
Is auctioned cheap to the thoughtless crowd,
Much like the old violin.
A 'mess of potage,' a glass of wine;
A game - and he travels on.
He is 'going' once, and 'going' twice,
He's 'going' and almost 'gone'.
But the Master comes and the foolish crowd
Never can quite understand
The worth of a soul and the change that's wrought
By the touch of the Master's Hand.

by Myra B. Welch (1877-1959)


Cx :-)

In 1945 my maternal grand father lost his youngest son, killed WWII, his ship

torpedoed, and his wife he had been nursing to bowel cancer, within days. :-(

Hello all

A coincidence that I have just finished reading a C.S.Lewis book "A Grief Observed" written when he had lost his wife Joy to cancer after only four years of marriage.
I can recommend this inspirational book to anyone who has suffered the loss of a loved one.

"God allows us to experience the low points in life in order to teach us lessons that
we could learn in no other way." C.S.Lewis.

Sending ((hugs)) out to all who need them today. x

Good morning every one :-D <3

That link is a bit deep for me too, an enigma, a riddle wrapped up in a mystery.

Have a good day everyone <3

Good morning..... :-)

More poetry to come in the week.

Today a touch of inspiration :

“If you want to get warm you must stand near the fire: if you want to be wet you must get into the water. If you want joy, power, peace, eternal life, you must get close to, or even into, the thing that has them.”

C.S. Lewis



Cx :-)

Hello all

I agree you Emma. I like easy and simple, and today's poem is both.

Your link is much too deep for me David. Sorry.

Beautiful Cynthia :-)

I love a bit of poetry x

Good morning :-)

Oh David, it's far too early in the morning for me to tackle numerology etc. Old Testament or otherwise!! :-D :-D

How about a week of poetry and inspiration?

This poem can apply to both men and women! :-D

The bible wore her imprint
Its cover soft from use
The pages rubbed and wrinkled
The binding coming loose

And even if this Christian
And her bible were apart
She still would have it with her
Hidden in her heart

Oh make me such a woman Lord
Who hungers to be fed
Who cherishes a line from you
More than her daily bread

And when my days are over
May this be my epitaph
“She longed to spend more time with Him
And now she’s doing that”.


Cx :-)

I read (for what it's worth) that much of the OT was in parts of the
middle east speaking languages other than Hebrew and Aramaic.

Seems in the early days the had a form of numerology called Gematria
to turn language to numbers to translate to another language (?)

e.g. Aish HaTorah, http://www.aish.com/spirituality/prayer/Prayer_6_-_Hear_O_Israel_Part_1.asp, which says "It is part of a Kabbalistic tradition ... Gematria is a Kabbalistic way of showing how two ideas are related on a conceptual level; it is using numerology as a basis to confirm (not create) the connection."

Good morning :-)


The Collect (special prayer) for today:

Almighty and everlasting God,
increase in us your gift of faith that, forsaking what lies behind
and reaching out to that which is before,
we may run the way of your commandments and win the crown
of everlasting joy; 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 tells the story of the unjust judge and the persistent widow.

Cx :-)

Good morning :-)

It is indeed David.


A final look at animal Christian symbols..

Christian Butterfly symbolism has been talked about throughout the ages. The butterfly emerging from the chrysalis has traditionally been a symbolism of Christ rising from the tomb.

The stages of the butterfly - egg, caterpillar, chrysalis, and butterfly are wonderful analogies to our life as Christians.

The miracle starts with an egg the size of the top of a straight pin....just as human life starts with a tiny fertilized egg. A few short days later a TINY caterpillar emerges through the shell of the egg.....a baby is born.

The caterpillar stage of eating, eating, eating is symbolic of life on earth.....preoccupied so often with the physical and material.

In the chrysalis stage it appears the caterpillar is lifeless inside the chrysalis.....symbolizing death and the darkness of the tomb, an inevitable reality. But, inside of the chrysalis a miracle is taking place.....The butterfly emerges..... symbolic of our souls rising from the grave and ascending into heaven and eternal life.


Cx :-)

A prominent Christianity symbol is the Crucifix

Good morning... :-)


David - IHS is a 'Christogram' symbolizing Jesus Christ . From Greek it is an abbreviation of the name IHS??S ( Jesus ).

Christian animal symbols....The pelican

Long before Jesus walked on the earth, the people of the Mediterranean had an incredible respect for the pelican. In fact, the pelican became a legendary figure. In times of famine, the pelican was known to tear at its own breast, draw blood, and feed its young in order that they may have life.

Naturally, when these people received news that God, in His great love, had come into the world in human form, shedding His own blood to wash, adopt, and redeem us (Holy Baptism), and to FEED US (The Lord’s Supper) so that we may have forgiveness and life, they made a direct connection with what they already had seen in the pelican.

The symbol of the pelican feeding its young with three drops of blood from its chest was used in numerous cathedrals through the end of the Middle Ages. In some, it was included as stained glass, in others the scene was etched into stone on the altar.

Thus, the pelican symbol in Christianity, also called pelican-in-her-piety, symbolizes the sacrifice of Christ on the cross (because he gave his blood for others) as well as the Eucharist (because it represents Christ's blood and provides spiritual nourishment).


Cx :-)