This is one I find pretty challenging - simply because the logistics are more complex than other days and the responsibiltiy to get it right very great.  Writing to a stranger - how do you avoid being patronising or simplistic?  How might words be misread?  So in one sense I'm going to wimp out and do the 'green' option.  The reality is that I already give a few hours a month as as support volunteer for women affected by primary breast cancer - helping to normalise their experience, reassure them and if necessary journey with them through part of their treatment.  This support, by phone or email is both demanding and rewarding, is easily fitted in around my church responsibilties and allows me to 'give back' which I find important.

Anyway, here's the challenge - see what you make of it and how you might do or adapt any of it:

Today we've chosen two groups of people who could do with being remembered. Prisoners: isolated because of their own wrongdoing. Victims of domestic abuse: isolated because of someone else’s. Both groups need to know they aren't forgotten, or lost. We've all been given grace, and today we're extending that grace and friendship elsewhere.

START SMALL:

If you can't get a letter of encouragement to someone today, spend five minutes praying for them instead.

I'VE GOT AN HOUR:

Write a simple letter to a prisoner or a family in a refuge. Make it encouraging, positive and genuine.

I'VE GOT AN HOUR AND SOME £/$:

Write a letter and then either commit to writing a letter each month or search for a domestic abuse charity or prison intervention programme and set up a monthly direct debit to support them.

The song says, "sorry seems to be the hardest word"... today's challenge is to say that one word to one person who needs to hear it.  I'm not too sure what to make of this challenge - I was brought up to apologise, and swiftly, so I honestly can't think of someone to whom I need to apologise.  Indeed, I have a feeling I err the other way - apologising for things that are/were justified/jusitfiable... maybe I'm odd or deluded?!

Anyway, here it is:

OneRepublic were wrong. It's not too late to apologise. Saying sorry is generous because it offers the first step to healing and restoration in our relationships. There's also an enormous amount of freedom in an apology: both for the person who says 'sorry' and the one who hears it.

ONLY ONE TRAFFIC LIGHT TODAY:

Apologising isn't easy, so there are no easier options today. Bite the bullet and say what needs to be said. Choose the most appropriate time and method, and respect the fact that the person may not be able to forgive you straight away. The important thing is to take the first steps to put it right.

This one reminds me of a very generous thing my Mum did for in the days when I was living by faith as a ministeiral student... Whenever she went shopping and there was a B.O.G.O.F. offer she thought I would like, she would get it for me.  Those tins of beans, packets of cereal or whatever it was made a huge difference to me at a time when money was tight.

BOGOF

We love this one!

Most people enjoy getting a bargain, but today your challenge is to pass the joy forward. If you spot a BOGOF deal in your local supermarket, snap it up and send it on. Buy one, give one free. Every little helps!

I'M NOT GOING OUT/I'M ON A BUDGET

We've probably all got things at home we can share. A spare nearly-new toolkit, two copies of the same book ... you get the idea. What could you share with someone else today? Snap a photo and post it on social media, letting your friends know they can have it for free.

BOGOF!

Jaffa Cakes. They’re our personal favourite. Just in case anyone wants to send some our way. Stock up on the deal of the day and share the love with your office, toddler group or wherever you happen to be today.

THE FULL WHACK:

Head to your local trusted café or corner shop. Put some cash behind the counter and ask them to give everyone’s order for free until the money runs out.

I love and need this one!  And today it is pretty much possible once I meet some friends later this morning.  I have a primitive phone and miss more calls than I take, so not entirely a technology addict.  However, I am still working at not checking emails on my 'day off'... it has become some much part of my routine, so it's good to be reminded of the value ot swtiching off all the technology...

For all its benefits (and there are a few) technology also has its pitfalls. Our phones can be addictive, and sometimes counter-productive to real face-to-face relationship. Do you need to check Facebook again? Will that view only exist if you Instagram it? You know what we're about to ask, don't you? Time to disconnect and reconnect.

BUT, BUT, BUT…

If it's impossible to do this today, make a point of scheduling one Sunday in the next three weeks as a 'downtime' day. Let people know you'll be offline in advance, if you need to. Make plans for face-to-face time, not FaceTime.

I'M GETTING WITHDRAWALS:

Can't switch off for a whole day? OK, try three hours. No Facebook, no WhatsApp, no phone calls (unless you're arranging to meet up in person). Be present, fully, for someone else.

BRING IT ON:

Starting now, switch it off. Enjoy a whole day unplugged and fully focused on the people you're blessed to be with this weekend. Let us know how you got on tomorrow.

Slipping gently into to the third week already, we have an explicitly Christian challenge today with a focus on reading and sharing favourite Bible texts to encourage others:

GO EASY:

If you can't think of a particular person to encourage, then share your favourite verse or encouragement on a social network.

GOT A LITTLE MORE TIME?

Spend ten minutes praying or thinking about someone you know who is experiencing a tough time. Send them a text or a card with an appropriate verse inside it, and let them know you care.

GET CREATIVE: Set aside some time to read the Bible with someone. It can be great to unpack the more difficult ideas and verses alongside another person.

All of which has given me an idea for a talk I have to do this afternoon :-)