MN Christian Prayer Thread - Dippy's Back! Prayers for New Beginnings as a New Academic Year Commences ......

[CaptainDippy]

I know I would appreciate prayers as I face the prospect that the Littlest Dippy starts school in a few short weeks (w/c 12th Sept to be precise). Feeling a little wobbly to say the least ......

RIP Carl, and prayers for his family and friends left behind. At least he is at peace now.

When I started going to church again, DH was OKish about it, but it took a while for him to voice his real fear, that if it came to a choice between him and God, that he would be the one to lose out. I wonder how much that is an unspoken concern for him, TUO? I talked that through with my DH and it helped, that I believed that God would never ask me to make that choice. In time (and after much prayer, with many of the prayer thread praying with me), he started to come to church, and was confirmed 2 years ago :)

Oh, Sweetest, I am so sorry to hear about Carl. Prayers for all his friends and family at this time.

Sorry to hear about your back, too, BES, and hooray for ds knowing that you really needed him not to yank you about today. Prayers for a swift recovery.

Pleased - well, not 'pleased' exactly, but relieved - to know I am not the only one whose dh has struggled with this. I don't think that he's worried that I'll be asked to make a choice between him and God, Mary, but it is about control for him, I think. He's very much of the 'opiate of the masses'/'prop for the feeble-minded' school of thought when it comes to religion, and so I think he fears I'll become ... oh, I don't know ... weak or something (which is ironic, as I feel so so so much stronger now than ever before), and maybe judgemental (also so very far from the truth... my views are as liberal as ever, and thank God for the very accommodating CofE; though I liked the Episcopal Church with its female Presiding Bishop even more!). It'd make him sound like a monster (which he isn't) if I said that I think he also likes, a bit, to control me... but that is true to an extent - he certainly finds it hard when I embrace something that he is so very much against. I have struggled to understand his real vehemence against organised religion, and the only thing that I can come up with is that he needs to feel that everything can be understood and explained in order to feel in control of his life, and so he's a bit freaked by something that asks you just to accept your own lack of control, to some extent. I don't know... his dad was very controlling (so I understand - he died when he was 18) and so maybe this is his way of taking back that control... On the other hand, his mum - who died a couple of years ago - was a deeply spiritual person. I wish she was here now - can't help thinking she'd have something helpful to say.

I am rambling, but feel very strongly that I need to have the courage of my convictions, whether or not I ever manage to take dh with me. It is encouraging to hear the story of your dh Mary, though. How did he react when you said you wanted to become a Reader? Had he already come around to the idea by then?

WisteriaWoman - thinking of you and praying for you too. Interestingly I think my dh could probably cope with the Quakers too. I do like a bit of smells'n'bells though!

Oma - I will try to get that book. Thanks for the recommendation.

Thank you so much, all of you, for your thoughts and prayers. It means a lot.

sorry to hear about carrl sweetest. how are you? another big thing to add to your already heavy load. I hope you get chance to grieve and get some support.

my aunt died on saturday. I was not close but still feel odd at losing another of dad's siblings, ( it seems like dad is more vulnerable now) and another aunt.(lost 3 in the last few years) no longer have chance to be close though. dad is upset, obviously. the funeral is next week, but I shan't be able to go. i think. it is a long way with the children.

my back is sore as the tablets wear off. will have the next lot next to the bed I think ready for tomorrow.

Hello. Praying as I read.

ExH starts a new full time job today, nothing glamorous, he's working as a retail security guard in Hemel Hempstead but it's the first full time job he's had for a long time and he'll continue with his doorman work 3 times a week too for now. He seems happy and hopefully he'll support me better when his first pay comes through from this job. So that will be a big relief for me The children will probably find it tough as he's been able to see them so much and this job is 6 days a week.

Hello all.

Sweetest, I am so sorry about Carl, praying today for his family and friends. :(

BES - so sorry about your aunt, and praying for some relief for your back.

TUO, it must be so hard, you've had some good advice here and some experience from others. All I can say is sometimes God brings those most against him to faith, and prayer works, it's a mystery but God hears the cry of your heart....keep crying out. I know you do. Praying that there will be a breakthrough for you in your communication about it all and that you feel able to share more freely how it helps you :)

Now have a tummy bug on top of bad chest so a bit sorry for myself but enjoying the sunshine anyway.

That's good about the job tacp but harder for your dc, praying that things will go smoothly in it all.

Hope some of our people who are being quieter atm are ok - dippy, Jently, Positiveattitude, and everyone else.

The Reader thing was "interesting", TUO. I have to admit to NOT admitting what it involved totally, not at first anyway, and I was quick to point out that we'd be supported as a family (then totally let down when we weren't, at least not the practical help we'd been promised). His response was well if it makes you happy and if we get help, then it was OK by him (at this stage he wasn't going to church).

Sorry to hear about your aunt, BES, its not easy when losing close relatives, even if you don't feel that close to them.

Good news about the job for ex-H, TACP, here's praying he comes up with "the goods" when the money comes in! And that 2 jobs isn't too much for him, particularly at first, when he's not been in full time work for a while.

Heck hecky heck heck
DH's eyes are worse than we thought. Definitely two operations ahead. Meantime he can't see well enough to do the work we do for a living, so any time I'm not having radiotherapy during the day I'll be doubling up for his work. How tired will I be by Christmas? Prayers would be appreciated as I need to be cheerful and positive for him.

Prayers, Amber...

Oh Amber! Praying for you and everyone else on this thread.

oh heck indeed.

I think there are programmes/applications you can get for the computer that make text bigger.... (vague memories of listening to in touch on radio 4) not sure oif that would help though.

Oh no, Amber. Praying for you and your dh. I hope he gets the treatment he needs soon.

Praying that you feel better soon, too, MHD. A stomach bug is all you need, on top of everything else. Poor you!

Sorry to hear about your aunt, BES. I think it's very hard to lose your parents' siblings... feels a bit too close to home, somehow. Praying for peace for you when you think of your dad. Also for a quick recovery from your bad back.

TACP - good news about your ex's job. Praying it all goes OK and isn't too hard on your kids.

Bit sad today: it's the anniversary of the death of a student of mine, and another one died just a couple of weeks ago. Mind you, period arrived unexpectedly today (gee thanks!) which might explain weepiness. (Apologies for TMI!)

Oh, meant to say, Mary, that your dh sounds pretty tolerant, even in his non-Church days. My dh's reaction (not that I am planning on testing it out would be more on the lines of 'Have you [expletives deleted] lost your [expletives deleted] mind?'. Am praying that he find, first, tolerance and acceptance... That would be a good startiing-point.

Yes he is tolerant, but he can also be very stubborn and dig his heels in! He's a big softy really :). It really helped the fact that he liked our vicar at the time, who was a bit of a character!

Prayers for you and DH Amber. ((hugs))

MHD - yes thanks, I am absolutely fine. Things are going well here. We will be travelling to Wales for a final medical and interview, but they have already said that we are to book the flights for the conference in January and plan for DH to travel to Singapore and Camodia next April/May, so they are confident it will all be fine. Apparently our references were rather glowing!! Every time DH or I open our Bibles at the moment, or listen to podcasts, there is confirmation of our plans. It is all very exciting and encouraging. It is sooo good to have all this after 8 years of being frustrated by life and circumstances. God really used all the last 8 years to challenge us to rely 100% on Him, amongst other things! I hope you are you feeling settled now and enjoying your new challenges.

Prayers for you Sweetest and for everyone else as I read through.

If any spare prayers going please pray for DD3 and I as we appeal a decision from DWP on her DLA payments. I dont really want to go into details because I know that on MN it is all a bit of a thorny issue, but just to say that she is 17 years old and, in her consultants words, "basically housebound" apart from 2 hours at college 3 times a week. That is the only time she is out of the house and she needs door to door travel. When she has done her time at college she is then unable to walk around the house. We were told her payments would stop because she is having no medication or treatment! Do they not think that if there was any medication or treatment we would be doing/taking it??????? BUT it is a massive amount of work to put together an appeal and I am feeling a bit frazzled by it all. It all seems so unfair on the people who are most vulnerable. If I was not taking this on for her she would just accept their decision and get no help at all. What about all the people who have not got anyone to do it for them?
Sorry, a bit of a long rant. I will climb off my soap box now!

HAve a lovely Wednesday everyone.

PA, but unsurprised by the stupidities of the DLA system. It really is an evil system at the moment that punishes those most in need. Much prayer that there is a way forwards with all of this.

prayed pa.

grrrrrrrrrrr stupid system.

Oh PA, I know too well how DLA decisions can be incredibly frustrating and seem to be totally random at times, definitely praying for her and for the appeal, she most certainly qualifies for it. I hate the whole system tbh but won't get going on it today!!

Amber - poor dh - praying muchly for you both, sounds like an exhausting time for you. Praying for strength.

Feeling somewhat better and also feeling so positive about the project here and what God is doing here already - yay :)

Many many prayers for your dd, PA. I pray that she gets the support that she needs, and that the task of filling in the forms is not too painful for you.

Missed your plans (will have to read back when I have more time) but it all sounds very exciting. Yours too, MHD... so glad it's all coming together.

Have just been to a lunchtime All Souls service at which the names of the two students I mentioned last night were read out. I wasn't sure about going, but in the end I just felt that I really needed to do it. I feel quite shaky now, but more peaceful too. It was a bit weird going to church/taking communion at work though...

Hello lovely people, praying as I read, what awful things happen in life.

I'd like to ask for prayers for my poor mum please, she is in a nursing home & has dementia. She's currently bedridden after a chest infection. Thank you. & for my dad too, it's sad and difficult for him to see her like this.

Welcome NeeNaas. I will certainly pray for your mum, dad and you. So sad that she has been poorly with a chest infection on top of the dementia. I do know how heartbreaking dementia is - my mum has it and my dad finds it so frustrating. Prayers for you all.

TUO we are going out to Phnom Penh, Cambodia next July to work with Mercy Teams International for at least 2 years. We will be taking our youngest 2 DCs with us and leaving the oldest 3DDs behind (their choice).

Thanks for all the prayers and encouragement about the DLA. I will keep you posted on how it is going. Our MP is on our case for us, which is good. (He's a tory, but I can forgive him that if he gets this sorted )

Wow, PA, that sounds amazing. Prayers that it all goes well.

Prayers for your mum and dad, too, NeeNaas.

I forgot earlier that I wanted to share this prayer from today's service. It's probably well known (I have that 'I'm sure I've heard this before somewhere but I'm not sure where' feeling about it) but in case anyone hasn't heard it, here it is. I am hoping that it might be of some comfort to those (BES, Sweetest, Soozi) who've lost someone recently:

We give back to you, O God,
those whom you gave to us.
You did not lose them when you gave them to us
and we do not lose them by their return to you.
Open our eyes to see more clearly and draw us close to you
that we may know that we are nearer to our loved ones,
who are with you.

(From a prayer by William Penn)

That's a lovely prayer...

That's a lovely prayer TUO

Praying for everyone today!

I cycled 10 miles (there and back) to the other church in our benefice, where Sterre had her funeral and is buried on the churchyard, for the All Souls Service this morning. It was very beautiful, we had prayers by her graveside. It was very emotional though, specially as it is her due date tomorrow :( There is a pic on my profile of DD1 at Sterre's grave with her nice new memorial stone.

oh can you please pray we will know our moving date soon and that I won't be later than 3rd of December, as that's when we need to be out of our current house. Basically our letting agent told us the new tenants have just given their 1 months notice without waiting for us to tell when we can move in our new house... Pretty stressful, as it is all out of our hands, our new landlord doesn't know yet when they can move to their new house, it is all arranged by solicitors and they can't do much about it. So the people who are at the back of the chain are putting pressure on everyone :( feeling very stressed about it.
Don't have a clue what we will do if we will be between houses...