October 2022

Thoughts from Sandie

Another month has flown by and what a fun time we have had, some fabulous entertainers and great fun playing games, especially Play Your Cards Right.

We have managed to secure some more funding for the club, from the Stone Lions, Stone Festival & St Dominic’s Ladies Guild, not forgetting the amazing effort from our own Ethne and Tony who raised an amazing £135 by hosting a dinner party to raise funds for us.

We have a fun filled October ahead of us and celebrate the clubs 16th birthday.

Thoughts from Martin

The Bible states in Ecclesiastes 3 :1 “There is a season for everything, a time for every occupation under Heaven.”

The author Qoheleth, a son of King David then goes on to list 28 “A time for....”

Sitting last Friday having a flask while walking, I was dressed in shorts and t-shirt enjoying the September sunshine I thought of this passage. It brought to mind the enormous changes we have seen over the last few years. Earlier in the year we had the start of a new war in Europe, escalating food, energy and commodity prices. Only a short time before, we had a global pandemic that affected all our lives. During all of which we were leaving the European Union and the Prime Minister had been replaced.

But who could have predicted that such significant, national events would then take place over the last month. The death of Queen Elizabeth II and the start of the reign of King Charles III and the outpouring of emotions before and during the Queens state funeral.

Change can be hard at times and when so many things become different in a short space of time we can be left feeling destabilised and unsure. The book of Hebrews says, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” In changing and shifting times, I’m grateful that regardless of how much changes around us, we can be confident in the consistent nature of God, and of his constant presence in our lives. What a wonderful reassurance to know that God is with us in all of our “todays” and will be with us forever.

Amen.