40Acts: Day Five - reconnect!

Sometimes the simplest things are the most difficult, and though it sounds simple today's challenge is perhaps the hardest so far.

"And the second commandment…you shall love your neighbor as yourself. There is no other commandment greater than these."

Cris Rogers reflected on how as a society we have become isolated from those around us. He encouraged us to look around and to begin reconnecting with those around us, a smile or a greeting can begin that process.

I wonder if we are drawn to programmes such as "Call the midwife" because they feature a lifestyle and a sense of community that we have lost. Having moved just before Christmas we were keen to get to know our neighbours, and so we delivered Christmas cards, it was fun and gave us a chance to get to know those living round us. But in the two months since then we have hardly seen them. We have noticed in the past that winter is isolating, it's cold and wet and people tend to stay in or jump in their cars, and so there is little opportunity to meet.

Our hope is that with the onset of spring we will find opportunities. In the village itself we have made a point of visiting the local shop, butchers and pub as well as the Tuesday village cafe, and over time hope to get to know our wider neighbours.

As for the challenge I was able to chat briefly with a neighbour Friday and Sunday but not Saturday! But this challenge never was for just one day, and I look forward to getting to know my neighbours in the months ahead.

Life from the back of the pack: Treasure hunt

It is great fun to explore new places, and having just moved we have loads to explore, to make discovering Cambridge ( rumour has it there is more to visit than the fudge shop and old fashioned sweet shop!!) more fun for the girls we purchased a treasure map from

http://www.treasuretrails.co.uk/cambridgeshire/things-to-do.html

It was £6.99 for the download but gave some structure and information to help us discover more about Cambridge.

Our plan was to do it over lots of visits, so the girls didn't get bored and little legs didn't get too tired!

So we found four clues, with lots of fun on the way round.

We missed the clue on this road, and were too taken with this clock to go back - so this will be our starting point next time.

 

40Acts: Day Three - Using your gifts

Baroness Cox used this verse as the basis for her reflection today:
Certainly you made my mind and heart; you wove me together in my mother’s womb.”
Psalm 139:13
She encouraged us to make a list if our tools, that is the skills and abilities that God has given us, and to consider how we might use them during this project, today's challenge was to choose one of these tools and use it to bless someone.
It is a good challenge and writting the skills list was fine but I have struggled with this today for two reasons,
a) I like time to plan, think ahead so receiving the challenge on the day was unsettling
b) I was out all day!
However I knew who I wanted to bless so I did have a starting point at least!

So I took some time out after school to make a card and write to some friends who are going through a tough time, it is posted with love and prayer and the hope that it may bring some encouragement.

40Acts: Day Two - planning ahead

Today's reflection by Andy Frost encourages us to live lives to the full, and recognise the ways in which we have been blessed and from this position look to be a blessing to others.
I want to be both more thankful for what I have and more generous with what I have.
So today's challenge us to start a generosity jar. I like this idea, the principle of setting a little money aside regularly so that when an opportunity arises to be generous and bless someone there is a pot to draw from.

At the moment it just has loose change, so we have to decide if we are going to set aside a set amount or just collect the shrapnel! But either way, I'm looking forward to seeing how we can use it in a few weeks time.

40Acts: Day One - Today I am thankful for...

So were off! Today's challenge was to start a journal.

We were encouraged to list the things that we are thankful for today and to list some of the people that we would like to bless over these 40 days.

The reflection was from Mike O'Neill with the encouragement to record the past in order to better understand the present.

It was good to stop and ask that question, because the truth is I often forget just how much I have to be thankful for.

40Acts

Lent isn't something that has figured highly in any of the church traditions I have been part of. But I like the idea, the concept of spending time preparing for Easter. Things that are practical and hands on also appeal to me so I was drawn to the idea of this lent series so I've registered for the challenge :

http://www.40acts.org.uk Not totally sure what it involves but it will be fun finding out, and it will be a challenge but hopefully one we can embrace as a family.

Life from the back of the pack: Bird feeder update!

So the starlings have gone, for now, but this wasn't quite the little bird I had in mind!