Christian Coffee House - Prayer/Chat thread. No rubbish church coffee allowed.

[Madhairday]

With the latest prayer thread coming to an end, we thought we would create a new thread for prayer and general chat too - we had chat threads running for years alongside prayer threads, and we thought it would be great to combine them. I try and collate some of the prayer requests from the last thread in the next few days. In the meantime, dive in! Lurkers/newbies - you are welcome to post. Feel free to start any chat subject about Christianity, church, worship etc, and do share any prayer needs.
Would love to hear from those who were on previous threads and haven't been around for a while, too. Come and let us know how you are.

Yes, it has been very quiet for a bit. It’s been so very hot, so I am glad to see that you managed to get from one month into the other, while keeping the breeze going.

👋 @Dutchoma... it was my DD (15) who grabbed my phone and changed it, and I was too lazy to change it back! Sorry I should have pointed it out. NCing etiquette is tricky.

Don’t worry about it a bit, it was by no means a criticism.

Ha! Teen DDs are great fun. Mine grabbed my phone recently to change my DH's name to something with about twenty emojis! I haven't bothered to change that either. I do a double take each time the name appears!

This fell off TIO. Good to see you all here. I thought it had gone quiet.

Today's good news is that I may be able to go home for a bit. They're reducing the quarantine from 14 days to 7 with a test if you travel from the UK. That means I can use 2 weeks of AL rather than 3. Although it might mean sleeping in the shed or a tent in the garden for a bit

Hope you are all keeping well.

Don't know your situation @RafaIsTheKingOfClay: you want to be able to visit family in another country, is that right? Sounds like good news then, brilliant!

Pretty much autumn. They’ve eradicated covid for now, but there’s a mandatory 14 day quarantine for anyone entering. Which would mean taking 3 weeks off work just to have a week there. 7 will mean I can take off 2 weeks and then have a week with no restrictions and no SD because everything is back to normal there other than entering the country.

And double 👋 to you @RafaIsTheKingOfClay as have today realised we're both on another long running series of threads too!

Literally just noticed the same thing.

Hello all thanks to @AugustBreeze for restarting chat, are you finding it any easier in prayer?

Rafals glad to hear you have good travel/ quarantine news. Whereabouts are you? It's not UK?

I have been on my holidays. Not been able to get to church. The roads in Cornwall dont lend themselves to getting to mass on time! After the first week I gave up on regular prayer but I managed lectio365 every day for the first week. So nice to make that time for God ... and myself! Back to it today. It made me think about who I discuss the bible with and thought to ask some of you what you do by way of bible study?

I dont sit and read the bible. Thats why I like to listen to a daily reading or psalm via online mass or on lectio365. I also prefer books on the new testament as it helps me to understand it all better. Though I appreciate learning is not the same as reading from the bible.

On holiday I started read NT Wright "How God Became King" which has so far been really thought provoking and helpful.

I am in the U.K., but not originally from here.

In terms of Bible study. Lots of different things. Currently this ascensionpress.com/pages/the-great-adventure. Or at least the kids version of it because I found it reduced on kindle. It’s a bit shorter than the 90 day adult reading plan. I would like this though I wanted to get a better grip on the Old Testament and salvation history so that linked in well.

I like the Bible project videos. And I have a weekday missal so sometimes I just use that day’s readings.

The Bible project videos are so great @RafaIsTheKingOfClay! How are you doing, any more news on quarantine etc?

@ZenNudist I love NT Wright, he is just so brilliant in all he writes. If you like that one you'll love Surprised By Hope too and Paul:An apostle. Great stuff. I like his more popular level stuff too written under Tom Wright.

Nice to see everyone here - I've not been too well then super busy getting my book ready for publication in October which is coming up scarily quickly! We have GCSE results coming to this house tomorrow so we're all fairly nervous what with the mess this week.

Yes am getting in a little prayer each day now thanks.

I love the Bible Project videos too, they're amazing. I stumbled today across this one, about the meaning of the title Son of Man, as we're looking at Daniel in my home group. The video really helped make sense of everything and also it's a different take on the Gospel:
bibleproject.com/videos/son-of-man/

Some of you may remember ZipadiSoozi from a while ago. I was in touch with her today to ask about the twins’ GCSE results and she told me that dd had done very well and was off to college, but ds had had a breakdown and was struggling massively. She asked me to remember her in prayer on MN, so if you are able pray for darling Soozi and her husband and children, please so, whether you ‘know’ her or not.

Oh I'm sorry to hear that about Soozis Ds, Oma. That must be incredibly hard for them all. Praying now for peace and healing.

My DS did very well, so all good here with results. I'm glad today is over.

Well done MHD ds

Last breakfast in the holiday cottage before a windy drive home. Eek still loads of packing to do.

Like so many others this thread keeps dropping off my TIO and then I forget to come and look for it.

I'm hurting so much. God must have a plan for me mustn't he? I can't go on like this much longer.

I’m so sorry you are feeling like that. I am praying for you now, that God is with you and holding you.

Thank you @Donhill. It means a lot. I'm hoping to go round to church for a "bring your own coffee, socially distanced Bible study session on the benches". Sadly my church, which is the nicest kindest place on earth, isn't attractive or in an attractive location. We have no Church gardens to sit in but there are some benches on the concrete outside .

It will probably take an extra dose of anti anxiety meds to get there, but my heart and soul need it .

Praying for you now, Scamander. If it would help you we are here to listen, but I know you may not have the energy to do so. I will pray in any case. For peace, for light and for the conviction that ‘this too will pass’.

Thank you again for the prayers. I've just got back from our bible study. I'm not sure it helped in a spiritual sense but it was nice to get out.

I'll try and make a brief summary of my current state.
I've been diagnosed with anxiety, depression and ptsd. Hardly sleep. But usually manage OK. I was a single Mum for 7ish years, then had a brief abusive relationship. Luckily left before it got physical. Then I met a man who I thought was my soul mate. In November last year he ended things. Told me he can't stand my kids and that he doesn't want a family. He's now dating a Mum with a young child and they are expecting a baby. My heart hurts. My soul hurts. I hardly leave the house. I lost my job because I'd been off for so long. I just need peace.

Thank you for the prayers. I feel so pathetic. Like a lovesick teen.

Well done for getting out and enjoying it. It is a baby step, which is all you can manage at the moment. Build on it if you can, with another baby step. If not, be pleased with yourself and for yourself alone. Try and feel God’s approval and assure yourself in your thoughts of His love for you. So often we think of God as ‘lovng’ us, but wonder whether He approves of us, because we are so hard on ourselves. But He sees our struggles and He is on our side, like a loving parent with a toddler.
I hope the rest of your day goes well and that you can sleep tonight.

Thank you again. Its a comfort to know strangers care. It really is.

Scamander - you have been through the mill. Oma's advice is very sound. Be gentle with yourself.

Scamander, I'm sorry you are hurting. You are not pathetic. God loves you and cares for you as he does each of us. I pray that in this testing time you can find some new hope and new growth and to make your life anew. I pray that while you go through this you will have the sense that God is with you (he is with you but I know you might not feel it). I pray you won't feel alone. Better things are ahead of you.