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A Skinny Fairtrade Latte in the Food Court of Life - Page 336

  • #AdventChallenge Day 6

    This challenge fits this eponymous blog quite well... I've agreed to pay for the coffee of the person behind me in the queue... so laong as it's fairly traded, of course!!

    Amused that Bible Society gives us two challenges that potentially involve Sunday trading - just sayin'!!

      Dear Catriona

    In a world where so much points to ‘me’ and ‘what I want’, when was the last time you went out of your way to help someone else?

    It can be hard to strike the right balance, but the Bible encourages us to ‘help carry one another’s burdens’. Who can you get alongside today?

    Select one of today's challenge!

     
         
     
     
         
     

    Offer to babysit for someone
    Accept challenge >

     

    Do the shopping for an elderly neighbour
    Accept challenge >

     

    Pay for the coffee for the person behind you in the coffee queue
    Accept challenge >

     
         
         
     
     
         
     

    A view from the Bible

    "Help to carry one another's burdens, and in this way you will obey the law of Christ."

    Galatians 6.2

  • Christmas Listening... SmallVOICE

    A quick plug for GRF Christian Radio's SmallVOICE podcast of December 2015.  Always worth a listen.  This month a friend of mine, and of the Gathering Place talks about the wonderful painting above.  There is some lovely contemporary jazz (I don't usually like jazz, but this is simply wonderful) some things to make you chuckles and lots to make you think.

    Check it out here

  • #AdventChallenge Day 5

    Yesterday's attempt to be more smiley stalled when confronted with sight-reading tunes to hymns I didn't know in keys I find tricky!  So hopefully today, if only by means of a cheesy quote, I'll be more successful in my endeavours to be encouraging!

     

      Dear Catriona

    Have you ever stopped to think how much difference we can make to others in the way we talk? On average, women speak 20,000 words a day, and men 7,000 – think of the effect you could have if you choose to use those words positively!

    The Bible talks about the power of our words, either to build up or break down. Let’s use them for good!

    So, which challenge will you choose today?

     
         
     
     
         
     

    Find a way to encourage someone today
    Accept challenge >

     

    Write a note to someone you rarely see
    Accept challenge >

     

    Text ‘School’ and your postcode to 70500 for info on telling Bible stories in primary schools One of our team will call you with more info in the New Year! If you don’t want Bible Society to contact you by phone in future, add the words NO INFO to your text. View our full terms and conditions.
    Accept challenge >

     
         
         
     
     
         
     

    A view from the Bible

    "Do not use harmful words, but only helpful words, the kind that build up and provide what is needed, so that what you say will do good to those who hear you."

    Ephesians 4.29

  • ALTERnativity - catching up!

    I said I'd be posting links for ALTERnativity, and I'm already running four days behind.

    Really recommend you take a look - accessible, meaningful reflections for each day on their blog and Christmas stories old and new.

    This week we have already been invited to reflect on...

    December 1 - World AIDS day

    December 2 - International  day for the abolition of slavery

    December 3 - International day of people with disability

    Important themes and worth exploring.

    And a sideways link - to the Inclusive Church Advent calendar which I used last year, and which is worth considering if you aren't already comitted to something else, and which picks some themes similar to ALTERnativity

  • #AdventChallenge Day 4

    I begin with a confession... even before today's challenge landed, I had decided I would choose one that did not cost any money today as I have several things coming up that will cost quite a lot.  So I was very relieved to find three challenges that cost zero and actually are, for me anyway, not too demanding.

    I opted for 'smile more' partly because I'm aware that I am quite often quite grumpy these days, and partly because it reminded me of a time when my college tutor, having heard me preach in my placement, observed that I hadn't smiled once, which he considered unusual, before noting effectively that the preacher's face becomes as that of Christ for the hearer (yikes!) and if that is always stern....

    So today, without becoming a grinning idiot, I'll try to be a bit more smiley!

    Sometimes it’s easy to think that to make a difference to someone, you have to do something really big and grand. But it’s not all about big gestures. Sometimes even the smallest thing can make a difference.

    There are countless examples in the Bible of how God has used just a small offering to create a big impact – like the packed lunch that fed thousands. A small offering can go much further than we think!

    What will you commit to doing today?

     
         
     
     
         
     

    1 Hold the door open for someone
    Accept challenge >

     

    2 Be quick to reply to text messages and emails
    Accept challenge >

     

    Smile more!
    Accept challenge >

     
         
         
     
     
         
     

    A view from the Bible

    “There is a boy here who has five loaves of barley bread and two fish. But they will certainly not be enough for all these people.” Read more... John 6.9-14