General Chat

Hello all

David Livingstone will be interesting. Thanks Cynthia

David the internet is very helpful to fill in long days.

Our parish church will open on 5th July with lots of necessary amendments in place to keep us all safe.

It's so hard to think that this is the last day of June!

Good morning :-)


Apologies for not posting yesterday - I got carried away, yet again! :-(

David - the internet is, indeed, a blessing at times - we can travel the world from our armchairs.

Dermot - I think your PP is in hiding with ours. I am reading so much about how busy the clergy have been during the lockdown, but blowed if I can see what ours has been up to. He covers 7 churches and all we get is a weekly video. You message him and he doesn't respond, nor does he phone round. Fings ain't wot they used be!!! :-(

Right......we have heard so much about the dreadful things happening in the US with the murder of George Floyd and the Black Lives Matter campaign, that I thought I would look out for a story of a Christian Missionary who fought for the freedom of slaves. I decided on David Livingstone. I will have to give you two extracts because I missed yesterday - sorry folks.

MONDAY

David Livingstone was born at Blantyre, south of Glasgow on 19 March 1813 and grew up in a distinctively Scottish family environment of personal piety, poverty, hard work, zeal for education, and a sense of mission. He was reared as one of seven children in a single room at the top of a tenement building for the workers of a cotton factory on the banks of the Clyde.

At 10 he began working in the local cotton mill, with school lessons in the evenings. In 1836, he began studying medicine and theology in Glasgow and decided to become a missionary doctor.

A meeting with Robert Moffat, the notable Scottish missionary in southern Africa, convinced him that Africa should be his sphere of service. On November 20, 1840, he was ordained as a missionary; he set sail for South Africa at the end of the year and arrived at Cape Town on March 14, 1841.


From Moffat’s mission at Kuruman on the Cape frontier, which Livingstone reached on July 31, 1841, he soon pushed his search for converts northward into untried country where the population was reputed to be more numerous. This suited his purpose of spreading the Gospel through “native agents.”


TUESDAY
By the summer of 1842, he had already gone farther north than any other European into the difficult Kalahari country and had familiarized himself with the local languages and cultures. His mettle was dramatically tested in 1844 when, during a journey to Mabotsa to establish a mission station, he was mauled by a lion.

On January 2, 1845, Livingstone married Moffat’s daughter, Mary. Livingstone became convinced of his mission to reach new peoples in the interior of Africa and introduce them to Christianity, as well as freeing them from slavery. It was this which inspired his explorations. In 1849 and 1851, he travelled across the Kalahari, on the second trip sighting the upper Zambezi River.

Mary accompanied him on many of his journeys until her health and the family’s needs for security and education forced him to send her and their four children back to Britain in 1852.

Continued tomorrow.

Cx :-)

Sylvia, I have deleted the offending post.

David .................

I'm sorry for you that it happened

but that is far too much information to share on this thread ........ or anywhere else!

Reporting on the Baptist church.

I think they may have had a celebration yesterday ..... more cars, more people although seemingly still within the accepted limit of 50.

Then they had a group photo taken outside, on the grassy area.

Still only the Filipeno members though, I think the Canadian church is waiting a while longer.

It's been a bit of a dreary week, with lots of clouds and showers or "light" rain, with some sun in the afternoons. Yesterday and today have been much better.

Good evening to you all :-) <3
I haven't been well recently, sorry. I'm sore in the most uncomfortable
places. My mobility is reduced, but I can communicate thank God.
In a planet that has allegedly 7 billion people, the only people I see are
my wife a brief visit from a care in the morning. But, I have a PC, I'm on
the internet so I have the privilege of threads like these to read or add to.
Thank you for your company. <3 <3

I think our PP must be hibernating. A search party will have to be organised soon before the church building is officially released from lockdown. .

Hello all

Amen to the collect for today Cynthia.

David I hope your new kindle will help you to pass the time along. I hope you and Ellen keep well.

Happy Sunday everyone! Stay safe.

Good morning :-)


Hope everyone is keeping well. It's going to be a damp week by the looks of things :-(
Never mind, we all have lots to be thankful for. :-)


The Collect (special prayer) for today:

Almighty God, you have broken the
tyranny of sin and have sent the
Spirit of your Son into our hearts
whereby we call you Father: give us
grace to dedicate our freedom to
your service, that we and all
creation may be brought to the
glorious liberty of the children of
God; 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 for today:


Matthew 10:40-42

40"Anyone who welcomes you
welcomes me, and anyone who
welcomes me welcomes the one
who sent me.
41Whoever welcomes
a prophet as a prophet will receive a
prophet's reward, and whoever
welcomes a righteous person as a
righteous person will receive a
righteous person's reward.
42And if anyone gives even a cup of cold
water to one of these little ones who
is my disciple, truly I tell you, that
person will certainly not lose their
reward."


Cx :-)

Thank you kandj and others <3 <3

Last night I purchased a used Kindle from ebay.

This morning I reported the "loss" of my Kindle to Amazon.

Hoping you all have a pleasant day :-D

Hello all

Another interesting week of posts, thank you Cynthia.

David I hope you have a better day today.

"For with God, all things are possible."
(Matthew 19 v 26)

Good morning :-)

You are bound to feel a bit out of sorts for a while I think David - take care.


Get REAL !
by louis gander

Tattoo's ink smeared everywhere,
with piercings by the score -
and colour-copied rainbow hair,
how can we handle more?
To get a little self-respect
our clothes must have a label.
Our auto's must be perfect,
or we're appeared unstable.

Eye lashes must be fastened on.
Scent squirts out from sprayers -
liner must be perfect drawn
with powder caked in layers.
Our jewellery we can wear with pride
and aging spots can cover -
the wrinkles we can try to hide
so no one will discover.

Through remedies we dig and dig.
We make a real fuss.
But apply the lipstick to a pig -
it's surface, surface, surface!
We try to conquer blunder,
we think we've conquered dull,
but what I have to wonder
is, what's inside our skull?

Man can't look beyond the skin,
Man looks at the face.
Man sees only fat or thin.
Man sees only 'race'.
God sees through all shallowness.
God sees through the skin.
God sees down inside our heart,
God sees deep within.

Some day man might teach our youth.
Some day man might feel.
Some day man might learn the truth
and hopefully get REAL!


Cx :-)

Thank you Cymthia <3
Since my return from Hospital I confess to being shook op, sometimes in pain. and vulnerable. For the first timr I confess to being at times sad.
IIn my absence my Kindle has went AWOL, presumed stolen :(`
Also a small collection of Belfast paper backs have disappeared.
I feel reluctant to name the culprit as I cannot prove it :-S

Good morning :-)


Well, I am only a youngster at heart Sylvia!! :-D


Kitchen War
by louis gander

Discussions were beginning in the kitchen fraught with hate -
and anger soon was spreading with the "who was best" debate.
"I'm protein for the people," said the big roast to the greens.
"I am so much, much better than potatoes, corn and beans."

"Without my oven you are absolutely nothing around here,"
said the stove so loudly so that all the rest could hear.
Close by was some oregano, paprika and some clove.
"Oh, do not boast for you are but an old and rusted stove.

Said the sea salt to the spices, "Here's some good advice.
If you can't add some flavour, you're no better than the rice."
Said the white rice to the sea salt, "Let me say a thing or two.
The spices have a million times more flavour than you do.

The fridge could not stay silent and the toaster now was hot.
Disposal? It was spinning while the blender had forgot.
And that is how it started as the food began to fly.
Please tell me why there's no respect. Please tell me, tell me why.

From floor to wall to ceiling, there was food stuck everywhere.
And you could even see the peas come bouncing down the stair.

The bragging had continued and the sink began to boast!
Then gravy splashed the window...and the fork had stabbed the roast!
The big 'ol roast let out a scream. "I'm dying!" was his yell.
It rolled right off the table and on the floor it fell.

The hush was so immediate and no one said a word.
No sound was heard except from one small window perching bird.
Hysterically, it laughed and laughed. I thought it'd blow its cork.
And then we all had seen it too - that cheap weak plastic fork.

The laughter had crescendoed and it filled that messy room.
But then who had to clean it up? The dustpan and the broom.
Not one had learned a lesson and not one humility.
They still each think they are the best. That's how they'll always be -

UNLESS they all repent and learn of God's most precious Son.
ONLY THEN can we have peace for each and everyone.
Until then we will be at odds. Until then we will fight.
Until then we will be at war - and world, a messy sight.


Cx :-)

Hello all

"Call to me and I will answer you; I will tell you wonderful and marvelous things that you know nothing about."
Jeremiah 33 v 3.

Seems appropriate to share this verse from scripture following on from Cynthia's post today.

well, you are only a youngster, Cyn ;-)

Or you just didn't live in the backward places like a mill town, with a grandmother who just refused to have it removed, which is the only reason I know about them :-D

Good morning :-)

Thank you Elizabeth - lovely to hear from you <3

Take care during these hot days David - I think I can only remember electricity :-D


Number Please
by Deborah Anne Wilson

One day I had to make a call
To a business pal of mine
But though I called back all I got
Was a busy line

Next I called my doctor
And I heard someone say
"Oh, I am so sorry.
The doctor isn't in today

I called my Mom long-distance
Put all my quarters in the phone
A voice on a machine said
"Sorry, we're not home."

A lively game of telephone tag
It went on like that all day
It seemed that no-one cared to hear
A word I had to say

So I called my local company
A voice told me what to do
"If you have never bought from us
Please push button two

Please push button number three
If you have bought from us before
To speak to a real live person
Push button number four"

So I tried, but no-one answered
There was nothing to be done
Except to leave a message
So I pushed button number one

Thank God I have a Saviour
Who is always there for me
I can always call to Him
And the call's toll-free

I can always reach Him
When I call to Him in prayer
There are no recorded messages
For He is always there

Would you like to call Him?
He'll answer one and all
Just open up your heart to Him
He's waiting for your call


Cx :-)

My late Father was an Irishman from Belfast. He left Belfast in 1940 when his Father (a Docker) died in Purdeysburn Hospital March 1940. Belfast was being blitzed. Father came to England and worked forked for Wimpey for the rest of his life (England was being blitzed.)
In 1945 in Newcastle he met and married my Mother in 1945.
Dad was working night shift on an open cast coal site at Bedlington. He was half way up the jib of a drag line, greasing it. Someone down below started the machine, the chain ran over Dad's left hand amputating two fingers. He could have lost his arm, or his life.

I was born and raised in a large house in Portland Road Newcastle.
It had a combination of gas and electric lighting in different rooms.
I was too young to wonder how or why.Those rooms with gas lighting could be turned up or down with a lever on the ceiling. Parents only rented a small part of this house which included my GF and Aunt May and family.

David, as an interesting little fact .................

my grandmother still had a gas wall sconce light in her bedroom in the 1950s.

She loved the ambience of the gas light so much that she refused to have it removed when the house was wired for electricity. It was lit every night while she undressed and got into bed.

She died in 1954, and I think grandfather left the sconce there but never used it.

They lived across the street from us until we moved to a larger house in 1951, and I spent a lot of time with her.

She also cooked using one of the big old black leaded fireplaces with an oven by the side heated by coals shoved underneath it when needed and a swing out plate where you could put a kettle to boil. She also had one little gas ring in a wonderful extension grandfather had built as a kitchenette-sort of place

My grandfather was a builder and would have done anything she wanted .......... this was what she wanted!